Dengue- A Communicable Disease
Dengue is a communicable disease characterized by high fever without coughing, severe body ache and intense headache. It is also called break bone fever due to severe joint and body pain experienced in it. The patient will also suffer loss of appetite and taste, vomiting, small spots in chest and back and nausea. The patient can suffer internal bleeding like from nose, eyes and many other places. He is also prone to hemorrhage with non tolerance of daylight, restlessness, insomnia and vomiting. But hemorrhage type of dengue is mortal. Dengue frequently occurs in rainy season and mainly in July to October in India. A large number of patients suffering from dengue were experienced in 1996, 2003 and 2006. This disease is caused mainly in young children than in adults. This epidemic has been found mainly in Delhi and northern India.
Causes
Dengue fever is a non-contagious disease. Rather like malaria it is transmitted by a very strong and bold mosquito which even bites during daytime named as Aedes Agypti. The patient suffering from dengue fever are detected with the dengue virus in their blood. When this mosquito bites the patient, it carries the dengue virus along with it. Thereby, when it further bites a healthy person it transfers the further developed virus in the patient's blood. Thus, results in the occurrence of infection and thereby, dengue fever in his body.
Incubation period
The symptoms appear in around 3 to 14 days after infected bite.
Treatment
A lot of support, care along with proper treatment will help the patient to recover. But as there are neither any anti-viral medicines or tablets nor any specific injections to cure it still paracetamol can treat fever. The body pain can be handled by antidotes and pain-killers. But in case of hemorrhage dengue, the patient must be hospitalized to prevent any further problem that can cause death. Intravenous fluid replacement can be taken up to prevent shock.
Preventive measures
It is essential to take preventive measures to avoid mosquito bite should be taken. Stagnant water must be avoided. Mosquito repellent creams shall be used. Special measures should be taken during early mornings which are the time of its breeding. All water containers should be covered with lids.
Recent advancements
An outbreak of dengue in the year 2011 has brought panic in Pakistan. Large number of people got infected with this disease then actually broadcasted. As there is no proper vaccine that could create immunity towards the disease, so vector control is the only best option. But this is expensive, time consuming and not always effective.
Dengue vaccine initiative is trying to study the disease burden and cost of illness and also framing immunity medications by studying the development of introductory cases.
